Joke van der Weijst studied fine art at the Art Academy in Arendonk, Belgium, she also studied there weaving and textile design. In the Netherlands she studied creative teaching. She worked with Roby Bellemans in their bookshop, making traveling exhibitions and educational projects.

Among other things she interviewed Illustrators of children’s books, which was very inspiring. She had a few exhibitions of her own an some together with other artists. Somehow her work is very attractive for children. She has a kind of crazy spontaneity and just as children an enormous fantasy to see beautiful and funny things where we only see some disposable object which she combines in a collage or on a canvas,or whatever she can lay her hands on; wool, wood, paper, iron, stone, and so on. Perhaps that is why she connects so easely with children in workshops.

Once you get to know her work, you always recognize her handwriting, she always has surprising views. It doesn’t always seems difficult what she does, however she’s like an experienced taxi driver in crowded traffic: her fingers whirl blindfolded over the table with small parts chopped peaces of magazines, always finding the right ones.